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Archibald MacMechan
Archibald McKellar MacMechan FRSC (June 21, 1862 - 7 August 1933) was a Canadian poet, academic, and literary critic. Life MacMechan was born in Berlin, Canada West (now Kitchener, Ontario). He was educated at Hamilton College Institute; at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, where he earned a B.A. in 1884; and at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1889.Biography, MacMechan, Archibald Canadian, 1862-1933, Encyclopedia of the Essay. Web, Apr. 22, 2017. He married Edith May Cowan in 1889; the couple had 3 daughters. He was George Munro Professor of English Language and Literature at Dalhousie University, where he taught English from 1889 to 1931. His students included Lucy Maud Montgomery, Ernest Buckler, and Helen Creighton.Archibald Macmechan: Canadian man of letters, Fernwood Publishing. Web, Aug. 28, 2016. He was book critic for the Montreal Standard, 19071933, and a co-editor of the University Magazine, 1907-1919. His works deal mainly with Nova Scotia and its history. He was a long-time member of the Nova Scotia Historical Society. The Halifax Disaster (Explosion) was the official history of the Halifax Explosion. Macmechan had an office, the "Halifax Disaster Record Office" and was charged with gathering up all the records. At the conclusion of his work, as the record gatherer and preserver, MacMechan wrote his account, a work, "specially congenial -- history at its sources." The book itself is relatively recent and is set with MacMechan's history together with documents and pictures compiled and edited by Graham Metson. He is credited with reviving Herman Melville's reputation in North America.The Cambridge Introduction to Herman Melville, p. 115, editor Kevin J. Hayes. He had written to Melville in 1889, right at the end of Melville's life'.Hershel Parker, Herman Melville: A biography vol. 2, p. 898. He died in Halifax, August 7, 1933. Writing Canadian Encyclopedia: "In The Week (Toronto, 1883-96) ... the only contributor who really deserves the title 'essayist' is Archibald MacMechan. His collections, The Porter of Bagdad, and other fantasies (1901) and The Life of a Little College, and other papers (1914), contain whimsical reveries that recreate an innocent era of nature and art reminiscent of essays by Victorian writers John Ruskin and Matthew Arnold, whom he admired."A.B. Conron, "Essay in English," Canadian Encyclopedia, Edmonton, AB: Hurtig, 1988, II, 719, Print. Recognition He was elected to the Royal Society of Canada in 1926, and awarded its Lorne Pierce Medal in 1932. He received an honorary degree from the University of Toronto. Publications Poetry * Three Sea Songs (10-page pamphlet) (The Ballad of 'The Rover', The Ballad of 'The Tribune', and Off Coronel). Nova Scotia Chap-Books (No. 1). "Published for the author by H.H. Marshall at his shop over against the Province House in Halifax." (a 10 page pamphlet). (The Ballad of "The Rover', The Ballad of "The Tribune", and Off Coronel). * The Orchards of Ultima Thule ''(13-page pamphlet).'' Nova Scotia Chap-Books (No. 5, n.d.) "Published for the author by H.H. Marshall at his shop over against the Province House in Halifax (Nova Print)" . * Twelve Profitable Sonnets ''(14-page pamphlet).'' Nova Scotia Chap-Books, No. 14, 1920. * Late Harvest. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1934. Non-fiction *''The Porter of Bagdad, and other fantasies''. Toronto: Morang, 1901. * Nova Scotia: General history, 1713-1775. Toronto: Publishers' Association of Canada, 1913-14. (This is a volume in the 23 volume series Canada and Its Provinces). * Nova Scotia: General history, 1775-1867. Toronto: Publishers' Association of Canada, 1913-14. (This is a volume in the Canada and Its Provinces series). * Nova Scotia: Political history, 1867-1912. Toronto: Publishers' Association of Canada, 1913-14. (This is a volume in the Canada and Its Provinces series) *''The Life of a Little College, and other papers''. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1914. *''The Nova Scotia-ness of Nova Scotia''; Nova Scotia Chap-Books, No. 2, 1921. (a 13 p. pamphlet). * The Memorial Tower; Nova Scotia Chap-Books, No. 4, 1922 (a 13 p. pamphlet). *''Province House''. Nova Scotia Chap-Books (No. 2, 1927) "Published for the author by Royal Print & Litho at Halifax". (a 9 p. pamphlet). * The Winning of Popular Government: A chronicle of the Union of 1841.. Toronto: Glasgow, Brook (Chronicles of Canada #27), 1916. * Storied Halifax; Nova Scotia Chap-Books (No. 3, 1922). "Published for the author by T. C. Allen & Co. at Halifax"; (a 9 p. pamphlet). **also published as Storied Halifax: The warden of the honour of the north. Toronto: Grip, 1905. * The Log of a Halifax Privateer; Nova Scotia Chap-Books (No. 6, 1920). "Published for the author by T.C. Allen & Co. at Halifax."; (a 21 p. pamphlet). * Old Province Tales. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1924. (Witherspoon's journal, the sinking of the Tribune, the Shannon and the Chesapeake at Halifax, violence on the Saladine, the Lennie and the Caswell, the Privateers, etc.) *''Headwaters of Canadian Literature''. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1924; Toronto: McClelland & Stewart (New Canadian Library), 1974.Search results = au:Archibald MacMechan, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Nov. 27, 2014. * The Book of the Ultima Thule. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1927. (Vignettes of Nova Scotia scenes with touches of historical background; mostly, it would appear, about the French and the Indians in early Nova Scotia). * Sagas of the Sea. London: Dent & Sons, 1929. (Ensign Prenties and the ship wreak of the St. Lawrence 1780; Jordon the Pirate and the Three Sisters 1809; The Sack of Lunenburg 1782; The Teazer Light 1813; H.M.S. Atalante 1813; The Schooner Industry 1868; Captain MacArthur and the Milton 1879; Able Seaman Rufus Parks and the Hilda Maude 1891; and The Grilse 1916.) *''The Centenary of Haliburton's "Nova Scotia".; Halifax: private, 1930. * ''The Halifax Disaster (Explosion). McGraw-Hill, 1978. * Red Snow on Grand Pre. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1931. (Noble's force at Grand Pre from the French point of view; also about Casteel and Captain William Pote.) * Tales of the Sea (with foreword by Thomas H. Raddall). Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1947. *''At the Harbour Mouth'' (edited by John Bell). Porters Lake, NS: Pottersfield Press, 1988. Edited * A Calendar of Two Letter-books and One Commission-book in the Possession of the Government of Nova Scotia, 1713-41. Halifax: Herald Printing House, 1900. * Original Minutes of His Majesty's Council at Annapolis Royal, 1720-1739. Halifax: McAlpine, 1908. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy Books on Nova Scotia.Books on Nova Scotia (M), Peter Landry, 2011, BluPete.com, Web, Apr. 11, 2012. See also * List of Canadian poets * List of literary critics References *Janet E. Baker (1977), Archibald MacMechan: Canadian man of letters Notes External links ;Poems *"Archibald MacMechan's 'Ballad of the Rover'" at Dan Conlin's Canadian Privateering Homepage. ;Prose *[http://www.library.dal.ca/DUASC/Digital-Collections/HalifaxDisaster/TheExplosion/ Archibald MacMechan’s report, The Halifax Disaster] ;About *Archibald Macmechan: Canadian man of letters at Fernwood Publishing. *Machmechan, Archibald, Custom Essay. *Books on Nova Scotia (M) at Blupete.com ;Etc. *The Archives of Archibald MacMechan: A guide Category:1862 births Category:1933 deaths Category:Canadian academics Category:Dalhousie University faculty Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada Category:Johns Hopkins University alumni Category:University of Toronto alumni Category:National Historic Persons of Canada Category:20th-century poets Category:Canadian literary critics Category:Canadian historians Category:English-language poets Category:Poets